The vitamin B5 acne cure has steadily gained popularity over the past decade. From its use in clinical studies in the 1990s, it has come a long way to become widely marketed as an effective natural acne treatment today. How exactly does vitamin B5 work against acne? And how much do you need to get satisfactory results?
Vitamin B5, also called pantothenic acid, is an essential nutrient needed by the body. It is an important precursor to a compound called coenzyme A. Coenzyme A is needed by the body to break down and convert the carbohydrates, proteins, and fats from the food we eat to utilizable energy. It is also used to create biologically important molecules like essential fats, cholesterol, and hormones.
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In 1995 Dr. Lit-Hung Leung of the Hong Kong Central Hospital published a landmark study that showed how vitamin B5 may play a role in how acne develops. He theorized that the skin makes more oil when there is little coenzyme A to break down fats and keep it from depositing as oil on the skin. Vitamin B5, therefore, is needed to make more coenzyme A to control oil on the skin. Since acne develops when the pores are clogged by excess oil and dead skin cells, controlling oil production with vitamin B5 will control acne.
To prove this theory, Dr. Leung gave oral vitamin B5 as well as a topical vitamin B5 cream to a study group. A noticeable decrease in oil production was observed in just 3 days. In 2 weeks’ time acne was considerably decreased, and after 2 months moderate acne was completely controlled. Within a year everyone’s acne has cleared up. The subjects’ skin became smoother too as the pores became smaller.
Exactly how much vitamin B5 do we need to treat acne? The food that we eat everyday – particularly chicken, fish, shellfish, egg yolk, liver and kidney, broccoli, mushrooms, legumes, and yogurt – provide 3-6 mg of vitamin B5 a day. Dr. Leung’s vitamin B5 research recommends taking 10 to 20 grams of oral vitamin B5 daily. What about side effects? Some people may get diarrhea with elevated doses of the vitamin. Generally though vitamin B5 is considered safe since it is a water-soluble vitamin. This means that the body simply flushes out the excess vitamin B5 that it doesn’t need. And since pantothenic acid, which literally means “from every side” in Greek, is needed by all the cells of the body, having a little extra can actually be more beneficial for our health.
Vitamin B5 supplements come in powder, capsule or tablet form. With these preparations you will have to take several doses a day to get the needed amount. A convenient alternative is the use of time-release pills that guarantee faster absorption at less frequent amounts. Other preparations contain other nutrients like biotin and zinc to minimize side effects and/or to add other skin benefits.
Like most over-the-counter acne products, vitamin B5 is a viable and effective treatment for acne. Because it is found naturally in the body, it can even have less side effects than conventional acne cures. With its many health and acne benefits, the vitamin B5 acne treatment is definitely worth a try.